Operating mechanism for toggle type switches and circuit breakers



Jan. 30, 1945. F. B. ADAM 2,368,083

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR-TOGGLE TYPE SWITCHES AND CIRCUiT BREAKERS FiledJuly 14, 1943 '"U'D'UUFUUH" Patented Jan. 30, 1945 2,368,083 OPERATINGMECHANISM FOR roooua TYPE SWITCHES AND CIRCUIT BREAK- ERS Frederick B.Adam, St. Louis County, Mo., as-

signor to. Frank. Adam Electric Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporationof Missouri Application July 14, 1943, Serial No. 434,896

Claims.

This invention relates to operating mechanism for toggle type switchesand circuit breakers.

Where dust or vapor are prevalent it is desir able to prevent eitherfrom entering the interior of the enclosure of switches and circuitbreakers. This invention provides a. dust or vapor tight enclosure whichcan house switches or circuit breakers of the toggle operating typespaced closely together and placed in either a single orv a double row.

The enclosure or box of the invention maybe made dust or vapor proof andthe cover may be suificiently gasketed to prevent dust or vapor enteringbetween the cover and sides of the enclosing box.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved dust tightenclosure with operating handles and mechanism for operating toggle typeswitches and circuit breakers.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the accompanying drawingand the followin specification.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of the operatinghandle of the mechanism and a side view of portions of the mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a lan view of the back of the front cover of the enclosurewith the operating mech anism attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank which is later bent to form a rack ofthe operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the blanksshown in Figv 3 bent to form a right rack.

Fig. 5 is an end view of a left rack.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a plate which may-be substituted for thepermanently attached handle.

-Fig. '7 is a plan view of a removable handle for use with the plate ofFig. 6.

Referring now to the drawing, numeral l0 indicates the cover of the dusttight enclosure which may be secured to side 12 of the enclosure andsealed with gaskets l4. Numeral l l indicates the handle of a circuitbreaker or switch which the mechanism is designed to operate. 16

is the handle of the operating mechanism which may be formed in theshape shown, or which may be substituted for in various other forms toprovide operating means for mechanism to be described. The handle I6 issecured by means of a screw 18 to a short shaft 20 which passes througha bushing 22. Bushing 22 may be secured to the cover front plate I!) inany suitable manner and in the device shown it is crimped against thecover. The fit between shaft 20 and the journal or bushing 22 should betight enough to prevent the passage of dust or vapor therethrough. Anoperating pinion Z4 is secured to the end of the shaft 20 in anysuitable mannor as by crimping, as shown. The pinion 24 engages a rackor piece 26 in the rack blank 28} which will be more fully describedlater. A member 30 .provided with a rectangular opening 32 thereinsuitable for operating a handle of a circuit breaker or switch extendstransversely between flanges 34 and 36 of the rack blank 28. This member30 is the only piece which need be changed should it be desired to fitthe mechanism to various circuit breaker handles. Thus all the otherparts may remain standard while only this member need be changed to fitthe mechanism to operate any one of the many available circuit breakers.

A large slot 38 and a smaller slot are provided in the rack blank. Thelarge slot allows the rack blank to slide back and forth along the shaft20. A guide pin 4i secured to the cover and extending through the'srnallslot 40 prevents rotation of the rack blank but allows translationalmovement, thereof when the pinion is. operated by the handle 16.

One of the important features of the invention is a provision of a rackblank 28 which may be used for either right or left side of a double rowof circuit breaker operating mechanisms, such as is shown in Fig. 2.Thus the blank shown in Fig. 3 may be bent one wayon the fold lines 31as shown in Fig. 4, or the other way as shown in Fig. 5, to form a leftor right rack for cooperation with the operating pinion of themechanism. This means that one punching is all that is necessary as faras rack blanks are concerned, for complete operating mechanisms for adouble row of operating handles for the circuit breakers. As the circuitbreakers are relatively narrow, it can be seen that the operatingmechanism was designed to provide for close positioning of the circuitbreakers. This is accomplished by providing a mechanism which can bemade small where the transverse member 30 is secured and yet largeenough for the pinion 2A. The mechanism. provided by this invention alsomakes it possible to use stamped parts for the rack, pinion and handle,which considerably reduces the cost of manufacture as well as expediatesthe same. "Dump 42 may be pressed from the blank to form a bearingsurface for the rack against the cover l0. This makes for easy operationof the mechanism.

An oiiset 44 is provided from the large slot A small 38 and makespossible easy assembly of the mechanism. Thus pinion 24 is secured tothe shaft 20 before assembly and the rack 28 is then placed in positionon the cover with the pin 4| through the small slot 40 and the offset 44registering with the opening in journal 22. The shaft 20 may then beinserted through the opening without interference from the flange 36 ofthe rack blank. The pinion and rack may then be enazed by moving therack so that the main portion of the slide 38 engages the shaft 20 andretains the pinion in operating position.

Instead of the handle IS a plate 46 may be secured by screw [8 to shaft20. Then the removable handle 41 shown in Fig. 7 may be used and theoperating mechanism becomes a locked or key operated type. The handle 41may be carried by an authorized person and the lighting or powercircuits may thus be controlled.

While I have shown and illustrated one embodiment of my invention, it isto be understood that this is for purposes of illustration only and thatthe scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby but is to bedefined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An operating mechanism for a group of toggle type circuit breakers,comprising a cover plate adapted to be secured to an enclosure for saidcircuit breakers, a bushing secured to said cover plate, an openingthrough the cover registering with the bushing, a shaft passing throughsaid bushing and equipped with an operating means on the outer endthereof, a pinion secured to the inner end of said shaft, a rack platepositioned between said cover aand said pinion and provided with aflange with teeth therein engaging said pinion, said rack plate providedwith another flange opposite the first named flange, a transverse membersecured between said flanges and provided with an opening thereinadapted to engage the toggle lever of a circuit breaker, a slot in saidrack blank for slidingly engaging the shaft, and a second slot slidinglyengaging a pin secured to the cover to prevent rotation of the rackblank and yet allow longitudinal movement thereof.

2. An operating mechanism for a toggle type circuit breaker comprising acover adapted to be secured to an enclosure, a bushing secured to thecover and extending from the top side of said cover, an opening in saidcover registering with said bushing, a shaft extending through saidbushing and opening in the cover, said shaft provided with an operatingmeans on the end on the topside of the. cover, a pinion secured to theend of the shaft extending from the underside of the cover, a rack platepositioned between the pinion and plate provided with a depending flangehaving teeth therein adapted to engage the pinion, a longitudinal slotin said rack plate, said shaft extending through said slot, said slothaving a straight and an offset portion, the straight portion serving tohold the pinion in engagement with the teeth, the offset portionallowing insertion of the pinion and shaft into position from theunderside of the cover without interference from the flange of the rackplate and a member on said rack plate adapted to engage the Op ing meansof a circuit breaker.

3. An operating mechanism for a toggle type circuit breaker comprising acover adapted to be secured to an enclosure, a bushing secured to thecover and extending from the topside thereof, an opening in said coverregistering with the bushing, a shaft extending through said bushing andopening in the cover, said shaft provided with an operating means on theend on the topside of the cover, a pinion secured to the end of theshaft extending from the underside of the cover, a rack plate positionedbetween the pinion and the cover plate, said rack plate provided with adepending flange having teeth therein adapted to engage the pinion, alongitudinal slot in said rack plate, said shaft extending through saidslot, said slot having a straight and an offset portion, the straightportion serving to hold the pinion in engagement with the teeth, theoffset portion allowing insertion of the pinion and shaft into positionfrom the underside of the cover, without interference from the flange ofthe rack plate, a second longitudinal slot in said rack plate, a pinextending through said second named slot and secured to the cover, saidsecond named slot and pin limiting movement of the rack plate to preventmovement of the offset portion of the slot over the shaft and a memberon said rack plate adapted to engage the operating means of a circuitbreaker.

4. An assembly for operating a group of toggle type circuit breakerscomprising a cover plate, a plurality of individual operating mechanismssecured to said cover plate in staggered relationship, each operatingmechanism comprising, a bushing registering with an opening in the coverplate, a shaft passing through said bushing and said opening, operatingmeans secured to the end of the shaft on the front of the cover plate,a. pinion secured to the end of the shaft beneath the cover plate, arack plate positioned beneath the cover plate, said rack plate providedwith a flange engaging said pinion, means at one end of said rack plateadapted to engage the operating handle of a circuit breaker, saidindividual operating mechanisms being so staggered that said means arealigned in a single row between opposing rows of pinions.

5. An assembly for operating a group of toggle type circuit breakerscomprising a cover plate, two rows of bushings on the outside of saidcover plate registering with openings through the cover plate, a shaftextending through each of said bushings, an operating handle secured tothe end of each of said shafts on the outside of the cover plate, apinion secured to the end of each shaft on the inside of the coverplate, a rack plate for each of said pinions each of said rack platesprovided with a toothed flange engaging its pinion, each rack plateprovided with means at one end thereof adapted to engage an operatinghandle of a circuit breaker, all of said means being placed adjacenteach other, each of said rack plates having a longitudinal slot arrangedto allow the respective shafts to pass therethrough.

FREDERICK B. ADAM.

